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Sunday, September 16, 2007

Often when doing a Sunday Potpourri post I'll just spew some general interest stuff but today I've got something I think is a big deal. One of my fine readers and recently active commenters approached me about exchanging links. I get such requests relatively infrequently but of course if it is a reasonable way to spread the religion that is UAA "fandom" then I'm all about it. Jesse Jack the owner and administrator of the site BornInTheAk was initially just hoping that I'd link to his Forums. However when I replied with a query about starting a new Forum on his board dedicated to the discussion of UAA Hockey it started a whirlwind of back and forth emails that has resulted in exactly that.

I'm always gratified with everyone who comments here but have also always been aware that continuing a discussion is difficult. A new post always seems to kill whatever thread of thoughts had developed in the previous post. Unfortunately, the nature of what a blog is doesn't really lend itself to an ongoing discussion. Whatever subject I post about is generally the topic of discussion. This new forum though is the perfect place for discussions to have a continuous full life. So there ya have it. It is in place and waiting for YOU to participate. I'm there and will check the place regularly and comment often.

There is a subgroup of my readers here that regularly read and post on USCHO's fan forums. I suspect that some of the readers there would post on those boards if there weren't so many trolls and bullies hovering there. In general, there are two threads that pertain to UAA at any particular time during a season. There is the "UAA thread" and whatever "Game Thread" exists at the time. Because of the ofttimes competitive nature of that joint, certain kinds of discussions never really seem to happen. I want to encourage (cajole, entreat, beg, and stimulate) everyone who reads and/or posts here and/or at USCHO to sign up at BornInTheAk and participate in the discussion of all things relevant to the program we all love.

I've got a nasty little cold at the moment (hopefully at the tail end of it) so I'm not sure my enthusiasm for this effort is coming through. Have no doubt though, I'm all about it. It is my most fervent hope that everyone who reads this goes over to the New UAA Hockey Fan Forum and registers immediately. I don't think I could be more hopeful that YOU will. There are two threads for discussions currently, the first started by Jesse Jack to track former UAA players and one started by me to discuss potential ways to improve attendance at the Sully. USCHO's fan forums can be intimidating. BornInTheAk will be welcoming and free of intimidation. Please participate. Click on any of the linked text above to get there. I've added a link on the right hand side of this page as well. Finding the place shouldn't be a problem. Get on board! Registration is straightforward. You just need to choose an alias and have an email address. It's that simple. Please participate.

8 comments:

Just to let you all know; it's looking like i'm going to be covering the hockey team for the Northern Light. So, if anybody has any ideas that they'd like me to write about just let me know and i can run it through my editor and go from there.

Jeff,My first idea is that "if" the discussion about improving attendance over at the BornInTheAk forum can develop into a comprehensive set of realistic opportunities over the next couple of months that such an article in the student newspaper would perhaps work. I'll try to direct it into something that has some validity and takes reality into account.

hey jeff get the students excited agian to go to games write an artical about how they are wasting money not going to games i treid that with a letter and it didnt get in the opinions but man spread the word students hate wasting money

improving attendance will not happen with the student population, they are too consumed with other things, it will take the will of the people of Alaska to embrace UAA in order for attendance to come up. It would help if they played better music, last years was the best so far, but playing the mac-a-rani and the chicken dance don't really fit the hockey arena atmosphere

www.collegehockeynews.com did a summer preseason article about UAA. They also goofed by saaying that Lawson and Beagle are Key Returners. You will have to look for the article in "summer session archive"

Donald,I have read you blog since you started it and have always felt your analysis of a game is honest and without too much prejudice. You are a gifted word smith. I truly beleave you could have an even greater following and/or career in sports journalism.

But, show some respect for your readers by cleaning up the language. What we write is how we are percieved by those who read our inscriptions. Writing is a skill that you have perfected. So, stop adding superlatives just because you can.

Anon @ 9:15:Thanks for the compliments. I've always found it fairly easy to express myself writing. Your feedback is definitely appreciated and to my own probable detriment it isn't the first time I've been blessed with such kind comments. I would respectfully disagree because I know some of my writing weaknesses would keep me from further success in the field. I'm undisciplined and disorganized. Two attributes that will never serve me well. But thanks again and that aside I'd like to address your second point.

I've never found myself able to subscribe to the philosophy that some words are worth less than others. I wouldn't begin to argue that some people will find a particular word or phrase offensive to their sensibilities. They will. If I could change the nature of society so that people would realize that an expression or particular word is "just another word", I would do so. Whether one says "copulate" or drops an "f bomb" to describe the "act"; the connotation is the same. A good example is when I was asked at the arena to not start any "Bullshit" chants ... replacing it with "Cow Excrement" was funny once but not catchy.

In some sense my use of "vulgarities" (and I do carefully consider their use) is not anything more than a homage to reality. It would be a rare group of friends/folks that would get together in private to discuss almost any subject where such words aren't used. We all know that. But the minute the doors are open 99 percent of us restrict the use of those words. I'm afraid this place wouldn't reflect my personality without the occassional "4 letter word". It's me. While I respect (to some degree) people's desire to not be assailed in public with vulgar words; I try to write this blog as if I were speaking personally and privately with each and every reader. And if I were speaking privately with any reader here they'd probably catch a crude word or two passing from my lips.

I'm certainly capable of portraying myself in a more refined manner but I can't bring myself to pretend to be something I'm not. If that limits me in some way from any kind of wider readership then so be it. I want to be honest with myself and my readers; one of which is my soon to be 14 year old daughter.

I guess one concept I'm trying to express in this philosophical spew is that when I decided to write this blog (and I'd already had a fair amount of experience with the tolerance level of "joe blow") I decided that I wanted it to be (if nothing else) natural.

My hope is that people whose sensibilities don't match mine are able to roll their eyes or shake their heads when they come across the occassional vulgar usage and "write if off".

I hope that clarifies things a bit. Thanks again for the kind comments and please keep reading.